FX has just announced that they have officially renewed their hit cold war drama, The Americans, for a third season. This follows closely after network CEO John Landgraf teased the pending renewal at last week’s upfront presentation in New York. The series is currently in the middle of an explosive sophomore season, with six episodes remaining after tonight. Thanks to this renewal, fans can now expect another thirteen episodes next spring.
The Americans, which boasts an outstanding ensemble cast led by Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys and Noah Emmerich, follows the lives of two KGB operatives living covertly in the suburbs of Washington D.C. The couple, Elizabeth (Russell) and Phillip (Rhys), maintain their cover as ordinary American citizens by running a travel agency and raising two children – they are practically oozing the American Dream.
Although they’ve managed to keep their identities a secret for over a decade, things change when their new neighbor, Stan (Emmerich), turns out to be an FBI agent. Stan is active in an investigation trying to flesh out and flip Russian spies, which understandably makes everyone a little nervous. This unlikely friendship moves the narrative along and keeps a certain stability throughout the first season that viewers weren’t getting from the tense marriage between the spies.
Since The Americans premiered in 2013, the show has only gotten better. The stakes are higher, the characters have become more complex, and relationships have been developed in rather unlikely ways. This compelling show has not only earned itself high ratings – setting the record as the most-watched FX series debut, ever – but the accolades to go along with them as well. The announcement of a third season, while not surprising, is definitely welcome news for fans of The Americans. I think I speak for all of those who tune in when I say that I can’t wait to see where the writers take us next.